Means for propelling and steering boats



June 21, 1932. G RANKE 1,863,940

MEANS FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING BOATS Filed Jan.- 27, 1952 INVENTOR 62152 621 Fan/(e BY j/y k 17 g ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1932 PATENT OFFICE.

GISBERT RANKE, or MASPETH, New YORK mnnnsroa PROPELLING AND s'rnnnma iaoa'rs Application filed January 27, 1932. Serial No. 589,127.

This invention relates to improvements in boat propelling devicesas they are for instance disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 559,872, filed August th, 1931, and allowed November 30, 1931, of which this is a continuation in part.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simpleand comparatively inexpensive device governing the propeller shafts of boats and other water craft for lifting and lowering the propellers and forturning the same laterally at a desired angle to the boat.

Another object of my invention is the provi sion of twin propellers'turningin opposite directions on articulated inner and outer shafts, connected by a universal joint, and allowing a displacement of the propellers to vary the pitch to suit any prevailing conditions during the manoeuvering of the boat.

My invention will, therefore, allow a dis-,

pensation with cars or rudders, as the angular adjustment of the propellers laterally or horizontally as Well as vertically will permit of imparting to the boat'any desired turn.

A boat equipped with my improved articulated propeller shaft or shafts, if more than one shaft is used, has the point of union-be tween operating and propeller shaft covered by a watertight sleeve, and can be manoeuvred' more readily than a boat with rigid propeller shafts. 7

Furthermore, when travelling in shallow waters or waters of unknown depths, the propellers can be lifted in order to clearthe bottom, and even if the boat should touch bottom, the propellers could be elevated to clear the bottom and will still be operative to allow a floating of the boat, which'will evidently beimpossible with rigidly arranged propellers which will dig themselves into the ground.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a boat propelling device including stub shafts carrying twin propellers and articulated tothe driving shafts which can be laterally displaced by the operator by means of a spindle connected with play to the stub shafts and having keys guided in grooves of a sleeve adapted to be rotated by means of a cable guided over a pulley.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a screw bolt connected to the spindle in such manner so as not to hinder its movements, and operated by means of a bevel gear system from the operators seat to raise and lower said bolt and spindle and by the intermediary of its connections also the stub shafts carrying the propellers.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a boat propelling device including twin propellers so arranged upon the shafts as tomutually assist in their rotation by impinging the water used by one propeller blade against the corresponding propeller blade of the other propeller.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will become morefully known as the description thereof proceeds and will then be specifically defined in the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawing forming va material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the'stern ofa boa-t equipped with a propeller shaft governing device constructed according to my invention.

' Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1. As illustrated, the stern part 10 of a boat,

has a housing 11 erected over an opening 12 in the bottom ofthe boat through which eX- for the propellers '23, 24, held thereon by lock nut 25. Shafts21, 22, extend from the stern of the boat through brushing 26, and aremade in two parts each of which carries one member of a universal oint in its housing 27 covered by a water-proof rubber mantle 28."

Spindle 13 is provided intermediate its ends with a plurality of keys 29 guided for vertical reciprocation in grooves on the inner face of a tubular housing or sleeve 30,10- tatably held at its upper end in a bushing 31 at the inner part of a partition 32 in housing 11, and with its lower flanged end 33, in a ball bearing 34. i a j watertight closure.

Spindle 13 enters housing 11 through a stufiing box and a acking 36 provides a Near its lower end sleeve 30 carries a pulley 37 about which a cable 38 is guided over suitable rollers 39, 40,

the ends of which are guided within convenient reach of the operator.

At itsupper-end above sleeve 30spindle 13 carries a plate or head 41 rotatably held in a claw 42 gripping over table 41 and arranged at the lower end of a screwbolt43 guided in a partition 44 of housing 11 into a bushing 45 at the upper end ofhou'sing '11 and guided therein by means of a collar 46.

A large bevel gear 47 stationary on a support .48 on partition 44 engageswith its inner thread the thread of bolt 43, and runs on a ballbearing 49 at the lower end of bushing 45..

A small bevel gear 50 meshes with large bevel gear 47 and is provided at the inner end of a shaft 51, the outer end of which is rotatably secured to a connection 52.

The device operates as follows:

If it is desired to swing the propeller shaft and propellers to the right or left, this is done by the operator by pulling one or the other end of the cable to rotate pulley 37 in the desireddirection. rotating sleeve 30 to transmit a motion to swing by the intermediary of keys 29, link 16, and the universal joint, the

V propellers to the left or right.

If it is-desired to lift or lower the propellers, this is done by the operation of bevel gear 50-turning screw bolt 43 to rise or to descent thus lifting by means of the claw the: shaft 23 and by' the intermediary of link 16 to raise or lower the propellers.

It will be understood that I have disclosed the preferred form of my invention only as one example of the many possible ways to practically construct my invention and that I may make such changes in the general arrangement and the construction of the minor details of my invention which come within the scope of the appended claims without departure-from: the spirit of my invention and the principles involved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-, ters Patent is:

1. A boat propelling device comprising driving shaft-s, stub'sh'afts carrying twin propellers, a universal joint coupling said drivingshafts with the stub shafts, a rubber mantle coveringthe housing of the universal joint, a link connected with play to a sleeve carried by said stub shafts,- a spindle movably' connected to said link, keys on said spindle to guide the same in inner grooves of a rotatable sleeve, means for rotating said sleeveand spindle to displace the propellers laterally at an; angle-to, the boat, and means connected: with 'saidspindle to raise and lower: the; propellers,

2. A boat propelling device comprising driving shafts, and twin propeller bearing stub shafts, articulated to said driving shafts, a means for displacing said propellers laterally at an angle to the boat, connected to said stub shafts including a spindle having a head, a screw bolt having claws formed at its lower end to engage with play the head of'said spindle, a bevel gear through which the threaded end of said bolt passes to be raised and lowered during the rotation of said bevel gear in one and the other direction, and means to rotate said bevel gear.

8.*In a boat propelling device, driving shafts and stub shafts carrying twin propellers articulated tosaid driving shafts, a spindle passing through an opening in the bottom of the boat, means for connecting the lower end of said spindle with a certain play. to said stub shafts, a housing in said boat,

partitions dividing said housing into a plu- 7 rality of superposed compartments, a sleeve provided with inner grooves, rotatably held in one of said partition wallsthrough which said spindle extends, keys on said spindle guided in the grooves of said sleeve, a pulley on said sleeve and a cable guided about said pulley intermediate its ends to control the rotation of said sleeve and spindlein one and the other direction to swing thepropellers laterallyat an angle to the boat for steering the same.

4. In a boat propelling device driving shafts, and stub shafts carrying twin propellers articulated to, said, driving shafts, a spindle extending through the bottomof the boat, connections between said spindle and.

said stub shafts to swing the propellers laterally at a desired angle to the boat for steering the same, a head on said spindle, a screw bolt, claws formed withthe lower end of said bolt engaging with play the head of said spindle, a large bevel gear through which said spindleextends having inner threads engaging the threads: of said bolt, and a bevel gear'in mesh with said large bevel gear, means adapted to be operated from the operator to rotate said bevel gears to raise and lower said spindle and through the intermediary of its connect-ions with the stubshafts to raise and lower the propellers for accommodating the same to the depth of the water in which the propellers revolve.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of January, A. D. 1932. p

f GISBERT RANKE. 

